Combined leather-rubber molded outsole system and method

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are involved with but are not limited to: placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape; placing rubber material in the mold; and applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold and subsequently cooling the one or more leather portions and the rubber material thereby fusing one or more portions of the rubber material to the one or more leather portions and thereby conforming one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to and/or claims the benefit of the earliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listed application(s) (the “Priority Applications”), if any, listed below (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications or claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Priority Application(s)). In addition, the present application is related to the “Related Applications,” if any, listed below.

Priority Application(s)

The present application claims benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/679,837, entitled LEATHER-ENHANCED RUBBER OUTSOLE, naming Karl Moehring as inventor, filed 6 Aug. 2012, which was filed within the twelve months preceding the filing date of the present application or is an application of which a currently co-pending priority application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

None.

If the listings of applications provided above are inconsistent with the listings provided via an ADS, it is the intent of the Applicant to claim priority to each application that appears in the Priority Applications section of the ADS and to each application that appears in the Priority Applications section of this application.

All subject matter of the Priority Applications and the Related Applications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Priority Applications and the Related Applications, including any priority claims, is incorporated herein by reference to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.

If an Application Data Sheet (ADS) has been filed on the filing date of this application, it is incorporated by reference herein. Any applications claimed on the ADS for priority under 35 U.S.C. §§119, 120, 121, or 365(c), and any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of such applications, are also incorporated by reference, including any priority claims made in those applications and any material incorporated by reference, to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a method includes, but is not limited to, placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape; placing rubber material in the mold; and applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold and subsequently cooling the one or more leather portions and the rubber material thereby fusing one or more portions of the rubber material to the one or more leather portions and thereby conforming one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the disclosure set forth herein.

In one aspect, a footwear outsole includes, but is not limited to, one or more leather pieces; and rubber material, one or more portions of the rubber material having been fused under heat to the one or more leather pieces. In addition to the foregoing, various other aspects are set forth and described in the teachings such as text (e.g., claims and/or detailed description) and/or drawings of the present disclosure. The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications, generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes and/or other subject matter described herein will become apparent in the teachings set forth herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For a more complete understanding of embodiments, reference now is made to the following descriptions taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The use of the same symbols in different drawings typically indicates similar or identical items, unless context dictates otherwise.

With reference now to the figures, shown are one or more examples of disparate material outsole based articles of manufacture, compositions of matter, systems for producing and/or methods for producing same that may provide context, for instance, in introducing one or more processes and/or devices described herein.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of portions of a combined leather-rubber molded outsole system in a first phase of production.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the outsole mold shown as part of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side-elevation top plan view of the outsole mold shown as part of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of portions of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1 in a second phase of production.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of portions of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1 in a third phase of production.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of portions of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1 in a fourth phase of production.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of portions of the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1 in a fifth phase of production.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a first phase of a disparate material outsole produced by the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a second phase of a disparate material outsole produced by the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of an alternative implementation of the disparate material outsole produced by the combined leather-rubber molded outsole system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.

To construct footwear outsoles for footwear (e.g. shoes, boots, sandals, etc.), various forms of separate leather components (e.g. solid-bends, cut soles, built units, etc.), or separate rubber components (e.g. solid sheet, cut soles, built units, insert molded, molded on, etc.) are in some conventional approaches used alone. Other conventional approaches utilize differing properties of leather and rubber components for different outsole exterior surfaces (e.g. ground contact surfaces for contacting floors, sidewalks, earth, etc.) through first separately forming the components and then coupling them together (e.g. gluing, stitching, etc.) in final assembly.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a combined leather-rubber molded outsole system 10 depicted at least in part in FIG. 1 can form, through a single molding process, a combined leather-rubber molded outsole (e.g. outsole 100 of FIG. 9, outsole 100 of FIG. 10, etc.) having various rubber and leather exterior contact surfaces (e.g. leather exterior contact surfaces 20 b, 22 b, 24 b, 26 b, and 28 b and rubber exterior contact surfaces 44, 48, 52 of FIGS. 8 and 9 further discussed above).

Outsole system 10 is depicted in FIG. 1 in a first phase of a corresponding method to include mold 12 having frame 12 i and cavity 12 ii (shown with a cavity shape of a footwear outsole) positioned therein, leather 14 having portions 14 i, 14 ii, and 14 iii, and rubber 16. Frame 12 i includes surfaces 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40.

Further illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, cavity 12 ii includes cavity floor portions including toe portion 22 (shown with front toe edge of the cavity floor) with surface 22 a, tread portions 26 with surfaces 26 a, and mid-portion 28 with surface 28 a. Cavity floor portions also include portions shown by dashed line to receive leather portions 14 i, 14 ii, and 14 iii (e.g. leather pieces with substantially flat surfaces, etc.). Cavity 12 ii also includes elevated portions including mid-portion 20 with surface 20 a, and tread portions 24 with surface 24 a.

Referring again to FIG. 1, leather portions 14 i, 14 ii, and 14 iii (e.g. cut from sheets) include surfaces 42, 44, surfaces 46, 48, and surfaces 50, 52, respectively. Rubber 16 (including surfaces 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, and 64) can be various types such as pure latex, latex blended with calcium carbonate, latex blended with rice husks, devulcanized recycled waste rubber, thermoplastic, carbon or silica reinforced, etc., and being variously shaped such as rectangular sheet, rectangular bar, collection of pieces, etc. This first method phase of FIG. 1 shows leather 14 and rubber 16 before being received by cavity 12 ii of mold 12.

A second phase of the associated method is depicted in FIG. 4 to show leather portions 14 i, 14 ii, and 14 ii being received by cavity 12 i wherein surfaces 44, 48, 52 (see FIG. 1) of leather portions 14 i, 14 ii, and 14 iii, respectively, are in contact with floor portion surfaces of cavity 12 ii. A third phase of the associated method is depicted in FIG. 5 as cavity 12 ii further receiving rubber 16 wherein surface 56 of rubber 16 is in contact with surfaces 42, 46, and 50 of leather portions 14 i, 14 ii, and 14 iii, respectively. FIG. 5 further depicts cover 70 having surfaces 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, and 82.

A fourth phase of the associated method is depicted in FIG. 6 as cover 70 is closed upon mold 12 with heat and in some implementations increased pressure (e.g. substantially above, for instance double or triple, atmospheric pressure found at mold location) being applied to allow rubber 16 to conform one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape and to otherwise fill in gaps between and above the leather 14 inside the cavity 12 ii thereby fusing the rubber 16 to the leather 14 forming a one piece outsole 90 as shown in subsequent figures. Shrinkage or expansion of leather 14 may occur so can be taken under consideration in sizing. In some implementations, temperature in a range of 150 to 170 degrees centigrade may be required for fusing to occur.

A fifth phase of the associated method is depicted in FIG. 7 after molding showing outsole 90 including rubber interior surface 92 still in cavity 12 ii being cooled in an untrimmed state with excess material 91 bordered by dashed line showing outline of cavity 12 ii.

A sixth phase of the associated method is depicted in FIG. 8 showing exterior surfaces of untrimmed outsole 90 having exterior surfaces including rubber surfaces 20 b (rubber mid-portion and ground contact surface portions), 22 b (rubber front toe portion and ground contact surface portions), 24 b (rubber tread portion and ground contact surface portions), 26 b (rubber tread portion and ground contact surface portions), and 28 b (rubber mid-portion and ground contact surface portions) formed by rubber 16 in a heated state coming into contacted with surfaces 20 a, 22 a, 24 a, 26 a, and 28 a and having exterior surfaces including surfaces 44, 48, and 50 of leather portions 14 i, 14 ii, and 14 iii, respectively wherein surfaces 44, 48, and 50 are shown as being other than one or more front toe edge surfaces whereas in other implementations, front toe edge surfaces can also be made up of leather surfaces.

A seventh phase of the associated method is depicted in FIG. 9 with outsole 90 as trimmed outsole 100 ready for assembly with an insole and a footwear upper to make a footwear with such outsole 90.

Trimmed outsole 100 is depicted in FIG. 10 having an alternative patterned placement of exterior surfaces for leather 14 and rubber 16.

Clarification Language

While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to claims containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art will appreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed in any order. Also, although various operational flows are presented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictates otherwise. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a footwear outsole comprising: placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape; placing rubber material in the mold; and applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold and subsequently cooling the one or more leather portions and the rubber material thereby fusing one or more portions of the rubber material to the one or more leather portions and thereby conforming one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape.
 2. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape comprises: placing one or more leather portions in the cavity with a cavity shape of a footwear outsole shape.
 3. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape comprises: placing one or more leather portions having one or more substantially flat surfaces in the cavity with a cavity floor having one or more substantially flat surfaces, the one or more substantially flat surfaces of the one or more leather portions contacting the one or more substantially flat surfaces of the cavity floor.
 4. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape comprises: placing one or more leather portions in the cavity with a cavity floor having a toe portion including a front edge of the cavity floor wherein the one or more leather portions are positioned other than at the front toe edge of the cavity floor.
 5. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the placing one or more leather portions in a mold, the mold including a cavity with a cavity shape comprises: placing one or more leather portions as one or more leather pieces.
 6. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the placing rubber material in the mold comprises: placing rubber material as one the following: pure latex, latex blended with calcium carbonate, latex blended with rice husks, devulcanized recycled waste rubber, thermoplastic rubber, carbon reinforced rubber, or silica reinforced rubber.
 7. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the placing rubber material in the mold comprises: placing rubber material on top of the one or more leather portions.
 8. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the placing rubber material in the mold comprises: placing rubber material as substantially a rectangular sheet of rubber, a rectangular bar of rubber, or a collection of rubber pieces.
 9. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold and subsequently cooling the one or more leather portions and the rubber material thereby fusing one or more portions of the rubber material to the one or more leather portions and thereby conforming one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape comprises: applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold to raise temperature inside the cavity to between 150 and 170 degrees centigrade.
 10. The method of manufacturing a footwear outsole of claim 1 wherein the applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold and subsequently cooling the one or more leather portions and the rubber material thereby fusing one or more portions of the rubber material to the one or more leather portions and thereby conforming one or more portions of the rubber material to one or more portions of the cavity shape comprises: applying heat to the one or more leather portions and the rubber material while the one or more leather portions and the rubber material are in the mold to raise pressure inside the cavity to at least double that of atmospheric pressure found at mold location.
 11. A footwear outsole comprising: one or more leather pieces; and rubber material, one or more portions of the rubber material having been fused under heat to the one or more leather pieces.
 12. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the one or more leather pieces comprise: one or more leather portions being one or more exterior ground contact surfaces of the footwear outsole.
 13. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the one or more leather pieces comprise: one or more leather portions being one or more substantially flat surfaces of the footwear outsole.
 14. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the one or more leather pieces comprise: one or more leather portions being other than one or more front toe edge surfaces of the footwear outsole.
 15. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the one or more leather pieces comprise: one or more leather portions being one or more exterior surfaces of the footwear outsole positioned therebetween one or more rubber exterior surfaces of the footwear outsole.
 16. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the rubber material, one or more portions of the rubber material having been fused under heat to the one or more leather pieces comprises: the rubber material being one the following: pure latex, latex blended with calcium carbonate, latex blended with rice husks, devulcanized recycled waste rubber, thermoplastic rubber, carbon reinforced rubber, or silica reinforced rubber.
 17. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the rubber material, one or more portions of the rubber material having been fused under heat to the one or more leather pieces comprises: the rubber material being fused on interior leather surfaces of the one or more leather pieces and being fused to the one or more leather pieces thereby positioned therebetween the one or more leather pieces.
 18. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the rubber material, one or more portions of the rubber material having been fused under heat to the one or more leather pieces comprises: the rubber material including tread portions of the footwear outsole.
 19. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the rubber material, one or more portions of the rubber material having been fused under heat to the one or more leather pieces comprises: the rubber material including substantially flat exterior portions of the footwear outsole.
 20. The footwear outsole of claim 11 wherein the rubber material, one or more portions of the rubber material having been fused under heat to the one or more leather pieces comprises: the rubber material including ground contact surface portions of the footwear outsole. 